DeLorean: Microsoft's biggest weapon yet in cloud gaming

Microsoft Research has published a report that signals the company's goal of creating something akin to Netflix for gamers. DeLorean, as it is dubbed, would bring together gaming and the cloud for instant gaming needs.(Photo : Wikipedia)

The future of gaming could be well on its way after Microsoft Research published a new report that reveals the company could be heading towards a Netflix for gaming concept, which until now has largely been unsuccessful. The idea, being dubbed DeLorean, would position the tech company against the earlier efforts of OnLive to Sony's new PlayStation Now service.

Still, the optimism that many are quickly having as the reports hit the media, should be countered with the fact that no company has been able to create a platform equally accessible as Netflix has done with film and television. But the company that is able to develop a video game platform that combines multiple servers into one interface for a user, could be a game changer for the gaming sector.

In many ways, the concept of a gaming platform akin to Netflix has remained almost mythical, with companies looking at ways to get something similar fashioned, but nothing all-encompassing has been created.

Maybe Microsoft will change that concept altogether. The goal of any game streaming service would be to give users access to the highest quality picture and graphics as well as make it possible for users to play games instantly instead of being forced to wait minutes or hours as the games are downloaded.

The idea is being called DeLorean - after the car made famous in the Back to the Future films - and aims at taking the company's Azure cloud platform into new directions to create innovative gaming platforms in the cloud. But it won't be happening for a while.

The company, in the report, said that DeLorean is "a speculative execution engine" that would create the potential for lag-free gameplay from the cloud between Azure's servers and a player's device.

The report also follows what appears to be an upward trajectory for Microsoft after naming Norwegian software developer Opera to create a new browser for upcoming smartphone models, Tech Times reports.

"We have signed a strategic licensing deal with Microsoft. We are basically taking over the browser building department in Nokia," Opera Chief Executive Lars Boilsesen said. "This means that Opera Mini will become the default browser for Microsoft's feature phone product lines and the Asha phones product lines."

These moves could mark the beginning of renewed efforts by Microsoft to boost its presence in gaming as it aims to see the Xbox 360 take over the gaming world.

Enjoyed reading this story? For more awesome news, reviews, features and analyses, subscribe to Tech Times newsletter. We value your privacy and we will never sell or distribute your email or personal data to third party advertisers.